The Pacers vs. Knicks Eastern Conference Final kicked off with much anticipation. A 25-year-old rivalry fueled much hype around the series, and Game 1 did not disappoint. Indiana continues to find itself in unfavorable situations late in games, but somehow discovers ways to win no matter the odds.
The Pacers came out blazing hot, hitting their first nine field goals. This perfect stint included every starter scoring, putting Indiana’s versatility on display.
New York responded, ending the first quarter on a 15-4 run to take the lead 36-34. Both teams’ offenses in full stride, spectators were sure to witness an offensive clinic.
With 3:44 left to play in regulation, Indiana is down 14 points, 116-102. At this point the Knicks had a 99.8% chance to win the game.
Pacers forward Aaron Nesmith took this as a personal challenge. He proceeded to hit five three-pointers in 2:52 of play time, scoring 20 points total in the fourth and 30 for the game.
Nesmith’s spectacular last-minute performance put teammate Tyrese Haliburton in the perfect position to do what he does best, hit clutch shots.
After a made Nesmith free throw, the Pacers trap Jalen Brunson on the sideline, where he almost throws the ball away. OG Anunoby secures the ball and is promptly fouled.
Anunoby heads to the free-throw line with his team up one. With the potential to make it a three-point game, the Knicks’ small forward misses the first. A window of opportunity opens.
Anunoby sinks the second, giving New York a two-point lead with seven seconds to play.
Haliburton receives the inbound and takes no time driving into the paint. Losing slight control of the ball, he turns around, glancing at the clock, two seconds left.
The Pacers’ point guard decides to go for the win and steps back to the three-point line. His shot hits the back iron and pops up above the backboard, eventually falling into the basket.
Haliburton immediately recreates the iconic choking gesture of Reggie Miller that was performed 25 years ago. The celebration proves to be premature as Haliburton had his toe on the line, sending the game to OT.
Indiana had a slow start to overtime, allowing the Knicks to take a four-point lead with 2:52 to play. Andrew Nembhard breaks the seal with a corner three, cutting New York’s lead to one.
After a Nembhard layup and a couple of Obi Toppin dunks, the Pacers take a three-point lead with 15 seconds left. The Knicks take a timeout to set up their offense.
Brunson takes the inbound and makes a move in isolation against Nembhard. The Clutch Player of the Year steps back for a well-contested three that airballs.
New York grabs the bad miss and immediately kicks it out to Karl-Anthony Towns, who gets a clean look. The deep three misses short, causing a scramble under the basket.
The result is the ball going out of bounds off Mikal Bridges with 0.2 seconds to play, Indiana ball. Haliburton purposely turns the ball over to Towns, who is guarding him on the inbound, to make sure New York cannot get a shot.
Time expires, solidifying another major comeback win for the Pacers, 138-135 in OT.
Indiana is no stranger to being down big with little time left to play. According to Mike Beuoy, of the top 10 most improbable comebacks since 1997, the Pacers hold three of them, all from this year’s playoff run.
Down seven with 40 seconds left in OT in the first round against the Bucks, the Pacers win. Down seven with 47 seconds left in regulation against the Cavs in round two, the Pacers win.
Down as much as 14 with 3:24 left in the fourth, even down eight with 41 seconds left, in Game 1 of the ECF, the Pacers win.
Indiana may be getting extremely lucky, as there is no doubting the statistics saying so. Their team is almost designed for these comebacks, however.
With a deep rotation, the Pacers are able to wear teams down late, especially when they are trailing and the opposition holds a false sense of security.
In addition, any of Indy’s starters, plus a couple of players off the bench, are capable of catching a hot hand. This makes for a deadly combo down the stretch of seemingly out of reach games.
Indiana keeps defying the odds no matter the opponent or situation. Now that they have shown they can complete a comeback of historic nature against a healthy Knicks team maybe people will start to admit the Pacers are just good.
Indy looks to extend their series lead to 2-0 on Saturday night back at Madison Square Garden. It may be too early, but with all the momentum on their side, a Finals appearance could be just around the corner.
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